Category Protests
Commemorate the CCC and WPA!
Wikipedia I write this on the morning that a recently-released Gallup poll revealed unemployment to be the number one concern of Americans, with almost three times as many people considering it to be a bigger problem than the deficit (23% versus 8%). For those joining us late, I’ve been posting about the subject of unemployment […]
What We owe Sister Megan and friends
You already know this if you’ve read my blog in the past few days. The Transform Now Plowshares, which consists of Michael Walli, Greg Boertje -Obed, and Sister Megan Rice, have been sentenced. They had already been convicted of a number of charges last July after breaking into the Y-12 Weapons Complex in Oak Ridge, Tennessee. […]
The Unemployment protest on Feb 7
So there we were in the cold. It was noon on Friday and we were in front of Federal Hall on Wall Street. We were a small gathering. So there we all were in the cold on Friday, yelling about unemployment. Anybody in this picture who isn’t wearing heavy cold gear is freezing their butt […]
We interrupt this blog for an important bulletin…
Today, February 11, is a day of protest against unwarranted and illegal Government surveillance of the citizens of this country. I’ve blogged about this before, but what you need to know is that there is now an organized protest against the NSA surveillance revealed by Edward Snowden and others. It is also a protest against […]
Rise up for the unemployed this Friday
Occu-Evolve is organizing a protest specifically around the issue of unemployment. It’s Friday at noon. Here’s why you should be there: Despite the much touted ‘recovery’, adult employment participation is lower than it has been since married women started entering the workforce in 1978. Since 1978, it has taken most families 104 weekly paychecks to […]
Where is Occupy Wall Street on Extended Unemployment?
My ire was stirred a week or so ago by an article in Huff Post about the end of long-term unemployment benefits. For those of you joining late, the Congress left town in December for the Holiday recess without renewing extended unemployment benefits, which expired on December 28. The article itself was pretty straightforward. They interviewed a […]
Stopping the Empire–the Citizens United Version
Last Saturday, I took part in the Occu-evolve protest day on Citizens United. And because it was Occupy, and because they like hearing from Jerry the balding tubby radical, I rewrote HOW TO STOP THE EMPIRE WHILE KEEPING YOUR DAY JOB. This is a really solid video, shot by my friend Owen Long, a gifted […]
Huzzah! Unemployment fell to 6.7% (NOT)
Per the Bureau of Labor Statistics, we find that the US added a paltry 74,000 jobs in December (I’m assuming that’s seasonally adjusted and doesn’t include people hired for holiday retail). And yet despite that, the Unemployment rate fell to 6.7%. Huzzah!Praise be to Obama! Praise be to the fiscally responsible Republicans who refused to […]
Joblessness doesn’t pay
On the 28th of December, long term unemployment benefits expired. The Republican majority in Congress allowed this to happen even though a majority of Americans thought they should be continued. Depending on who you believe, this is the first time the US government has cut extended benefits with the long-term unemployment rate this high. Per the National […]
Amnesty for Edward Snowden?
Note: I had begun this post back in mid-December. It has regained relevance with the recent NY Times and Guardian editorials calling for amnesty for Snowden. The Guardian might be acting out of altruism, but I wonder about the motives at the Times. Is this a big sea-change at the Grey Lady? Or are they sending some kind of message […]
The Brooklyn Culture Jam 